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Kent Jones, a tax assistant to the solicitor general in the US Department of Justice since 1990, joined Sutherland Asbill & Brennan on March 16 2004. Jones, who specializes in tax litigation, joined the firm's Washington, DC office as a partner.

The International Fiscal Association (IFA) has elected Steven Hannes, a tax partner at McDermott, Will & Emery in Washington, DC, as executive vice president of the US branch. Hannes' term will last until February 2006, at which point he will, under IFA by-laws, become president of the US branch until February 2008.

Ceteris, the transfer pricing boutique, has hired another transfer pricing economist from Ernst & Young in the US. David Reichow joined the firm as a vice president on March 22 2004. Reichow joins former Ernst & Young colleagues Sherif Assef and Michael Heimert. Heimert set up Ceteris in August 2003 to provide an alternative to the big four accounting firms' transfer pricing practices.

Philip Martin: wants to roll his sleeves up Philip Martin, deputy head of tax at UK retail group Marks & Spencer, left the company to join Dorsey & Whitney's growing litigation team in London in February 2004.

The big-four accounting firm KPMG has continued the restructuring of its international tax practice with the appointment of a new head of tax for Europe, Middle East and Africa, its largest operating region. Loughlin Hickey, head of tax for KPMG in the UK, was appointed to the role on March 3 2004.

Donald Korb: vows to continue the struggle against tax shelters The US Senate Committee on Finance considered on March 8 2004 the nomination of Donald Korb, President Bush's choice for the position of IRS chief counsel.

In 1998 the IRS and the Treasury Department got the attention of the outbound international tax community by issuing Notice 98-5. The notice sought to challenge certain tax-motivated transactions that generated foreign tax credits (FTCs) by testing their substance under an economic profits test. The transactions described in Notice 98-5 were later included as "listed transactions" subject to the tax shelter disclosure, registration and list maintenance requirements.

UK retailer Marks & Spencer will appoint Eileen Haughey, now a partner with Deloitte & Touche in London, as its new head of tax on June 1 2004.

Any company considering the adoption of international financial reporting standards (IFRS) will need to consider the tax implications of such a move. In the UK, the main tax area likely to be affected is financial instruments.

On October 13 2003 President Fox issued a decree (the New Decree) that reformed the previous Decree for the Promotion and Operation of the Maquiladora Export Industry (the Decree) issued in 1998. The Decree, which has been amended several times since, granted certain tax and customs benefits to toll-manufacturing companies in Mexico that meet a minimum threshold of exports. The purpose of issuing the New Decree is to provide certainty to companies that have already applied for the Maquila programme and that opted for the benefits granted by the Decree, and for companies that may adhere to it in the future.